No Original WWI aircraft in existence?

I was talking to someone at a Toronto air show recently. This gentleman seemed quite knowledgeable about WWI aircraft. He made the statement that "there are no original WWI aircraft in existence today." Apparently, anything we see, either at airshows or in museums is a reproduction of some sort. I found that statement amazing.

Isn´t it so that the Sopwith Camel (NG812), flewn by lft Stuart Culley in his famous attack on zeppelins starting from a lighter, towed behind HMS Redoubt on August 10th 1918, is displayed in it´s original at the Imperial War Museum, London?

Peter Norell

The pfalz DXII and Albatros DVa at the AWM are the original captured vehicles from 1918 that were shipped to Australia as war trophys. The SE5a though in Forrests markings is a post ww1 SE5a remarked as Forrests.

cam

Well,I was at a SUN'FUN fly in,and I saw a Sopwith Camel,
even though it was not an original,it was a sight for sore eyes,man did I love that plane.It had the Le'Rhone engine,
and 2 fake guns,but it was sweet,i almost cryed.

Yes,Lt.Culley's Camel at the IWM in London is original.I second what Peter L has to say and yes....BS is putting it mildly!There ARE enough and more original WWI aeroplanes.

[Reinout]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any specifics on the Musee de l'Air? I mean address and opening hours and entrance fee? I shall visit Paris this month and I would like to check out all the aviation stuff I can find there! (as well as check out the discoes and bars every night!)

Kind regards,

Reinout

Reinout, this may help:

MUSEE DE L'AIR ET DE L'ESPACE LE BOURGET

[Vigilant]

Perhaps the gent was making the point that an awful lot of an _airworthy_ WWI aircraft must be newer than 1918. For example they must all have had new fabric because the original will have perished, and probably new longerons/spars if the originals were wooden. And how many of the engine components will have been renewed? And would you want to fly with 80 year old control wires? I wouldn't! It all comes down to the old story of My Grandfather's Axe. If my father replaces the shaft, and I replace the head, is it still his axe??

But are these original ??

Not repaired, not restored, not repainted, but original.
98% original is not original, and the prices of collector cars,A/C reflect that.

Weren't there a bunch of box cars recently opened in poland revealing a treasure trove of authentic WW1 airplanes that the nazi's had packaged and shipped off to poland so as not to become damage by the fast approaching end of the reich?
I'm not sure what kind of planes they were but they are, I believe, completely intact.